‘What We Do in the Shadows’: 8 Things We Learned From the NYCC Panel
What We Do in the Shadows took on New York Comic Con 2021 as attendees were treated to a sneak peek screening and Q&A panel featuring the cast and creatives.
On hand for the event on the Javits Center’s Empire stage were Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen, Paul Simms, Yana Gorskaya, Sam Johnson, and Sarah Naftalis along with Kayvan Novak who tuned in virtually. Together, they reflected on Season 3’s funniest moments and shared some behind-the-scenes secrets. Below, we’re breaking down some of the biggest things we learned from tuning in.
New Hair Inspiration
While those streaming the event from home weren’t able to catch the preview episode, attendees at the Javits Center were able to watch Episode 8 from Season 3, “The Wellness Center.” According to the creative team, Nandor’s (Novak) getting a new hairdo for the episode that is heavily inspired by looks seen on John Travolta in the 1985 movie Perfect. The dos were “incredible wigs” teased Novak. But don’t expect the new look to stick around.
Hidden Talents
When the moderator of the panel asked about the season’s cloak of duplication that allows the wearer to take on the identity of the individual they wish to copy, Simms shared some interesting news regarding the gimmick. In one of the season’s earlier episodes, many of the characters wear the cloak to duplicate Nandor, which meant Novak had to mimic many of his costars and how they’d pretend to be Nandor. According to Simms, the only voice that Novak couldn’t impersonate himself was Demetriou’s Nadja, noting that the actor is great at doing most impressions.
Kickball
In the episode, “Gail,” the vampires and werewolves face off in a game of kickball, “Twilight style,” as Guillen’s Guillermo declared in the installment. According to Simms, the original plan was for the game to be baseball like it is in the 2008 film Twilight, but snow forced them to rethink the game.
The Casino Blessing
In the installment, “The Casino,” the vampires and Guillermo go to Atlantic City where Nandor enjoys playing on a The Big Bang Theory-themed slot machine. But the inclusion of Sheldon and his catchphrase “Bazinga!” were almost pulled from the episode altogether when Warner Bros. told the team that they couldn’t legally use the show within What We Do in the Shadows. Thankfully, they got a hold of Big Bang Theory‘s creator Chuck Lorre who gave his direct blessing to use the IP in the show.
The Baron
The cast talked about working with The Baron (Doug Jones) again this season and discussed the practical effects used to bring him to life on TV. According to Berry, there’s a dummy version of the character that’s so life-like he’s caught himself talking to it by mistake on set.
Bringing the Nadja Doll to Life
Nadja’s doll has been hanging around since last season, but she got a little more animated this time around. “It was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen,” Demetriou remarked of how the sequences were filmed. According to the team, the scenes featuring a fighting Nadja doll involved attaching the puppet to the feet of two men who were covered from head to toe in green suits.
Scott Bakula’s Guest Appearance
In “The Siren,” the vampires chat with Scott Bakula over Zoom as the actor portrayed himself. But, did the performers really chat with Bakula in live time? According to Novak and Demetriou, they did and it felt just as surreal to film as it was for viewers to watch because they stayed in character while talking to Bakula over the computer.
Season 4?
The FX favorite has already been renewed and is currently back to work filming for Season 4. When it came time for fan questions, Simms teased that the new chapter will feature some of its most ambitious supernatural creatures yet.